Independence School District.:Inspiring Greatness:.2015-03-03T17:48:25Zhttp://www.isdschools.org/feed/atom/WordPressJohn Baccalahttp://www.isdschools.org/?p=279082015-03-03T17:48:25Z2015-03-03T17:48:25ZTruman and William Chrisman’s dance teams saved some of their best moves for when it counted most- the Missouri Dance Team Association (MODTA) State competition in St. Louis. Bolstered by a second place finish in Pom and a fourth place finish in Hip Hop, Truman’s team, the Starsteppers, finished fifth overall in the 5A Dance Division, the highest finish in school history!

William Chrisman’s Beartrackers were equally successful. Chrisman Sophomore Tanner Frisbey took first place in the solo division, beating 17 other competitors. Overall, the Beartrackers placed fourth in Kick and fifth in Pom. Frisbey and his teammates will be featured March 4 on WDAF-TV Fox 4’s Reaching for Excellence segment.

]]>0Todd Theenhttp://www.isdschools.org/?p=278992015-03-01T05:59:53Z2015-02-28T20:25:51ZTruman High school Theatre Department presents "I Remember Mama" is still showing tonight on schedule at 7:00 PM Saturday, February 28, 2015 at Truman High School.
]]>0John Baccalahttp://www.isdschools.org/?p=278942015-02-27T18:04:11Z2015-02-27T17:57:08ZWith a fourth place finish in the Kansas City Region, the Truman High School Mock Trial Team earned a spot in the Missouri High School Mock Trial State Championship March 26-29 at the University of Missouri Law School in Columbia. Sponsored by the Missouri Bar Association, mock trial is a competition where students are given a case and then create both sides of the legal argument using student attorneys and witnesses.

“Congratulations to Truman High School on this terrific accomplishment,” said Allison Greenfield, Kansas City regional mock trial co-director. “I had numerous judges tell me how impressed they were with the students’ skill and knowledge.”

Most of Truman’s team members are in the school’s legal communications class and many are involved in debate and drama. Those talents are very beneficial in building a top tier mock trial team.

“It takes critical thinking, the ability to communicate a clear message and persuasive speaking skills to be successful in mock trial,” said Chris Adams, Truman’s coach. “We practice twice a week and work on memorizing and utilizing key facts, just like any attorney preparing for a trial.”

]]>0John Baccalahttp://www.isdschools.org/?p=278912015-02-27T17:51:53Z2015-02-27T17:51:53ZSeveral budding young scientists from Van Horn High School are putting their expertise on display during the 64th Greater Kansas City Science and Engineering Fair at Union Station March 11-14. They earned the honor by winning a grand prize trophy or division medal during the third annual Van Horn Science and Engineering Fair inside the school’s Little Theater.

“Students conducted long-term independent research projects on topics like behavioral science, engineering, computer science, math, chemistry, biology and inventions,” said Debbie Cox, Van Horn science teacher and Science Fair sponsor. “Students wrote a paper on their findings and presented their materials at the fair.” Students were then interviewed by a panel of five judges.

Grand Prize winners were:

First Place- Mirinda Holthe for her invention project, “The Development and Analysis of a Biodegradable Valve Oil for Musical Instruments.”

Second Place- Lauren Hopkins for her mathematics project, “Predicting Frequency Using Benford’s and Zipf’s Laws: Does Randomness Exist?”

Third Place- Arianny Pujols and Naomi Kroeger for their zoology project, “Counteracting the Effects of Perchlorate Pollutants on Daphnia magna Using Non-Toxic Antioxidants.”

]]>0John Baccalahttp://www.isdschools.org/?p=278832015-02-25T17:21:31Z2015-02-25T17:18:02ZTwo ISD middle school students- Mackenzie Matzeder from Bingham and Kara Amos from Pioneer Ridge- are district winners of The Lions Club International Peace Poster Contest. Representing the Independence Host Lions Club, the two now advance to compete for statewide honors.

Students ages 11 through 13 were asked to visually depict their interpretation of this year’s theme- Peace, Love and Understanding. Created in 1988, The Lions International Peace Poster Contest gives young people an opportunity to express their feelings about peace. Since then, more than 3.6 million children have participated worldwide.

(Mackenzie's Poster)

(Kara's Poster)

Both students described the meaning of their artistic message:

Mackenzie-“Sometimes keeping the peace and understanding can be hard, but we all need to shake hands and realize that’s all it takes.”

Kara- “I think the world needs peace because everyone should be good to everyone. Being a good person is a wonderful legacy to leave behind.”

Lions Clubs International is the largest service club organization in the world. Nearly 1.4 million Lions members perform valuable services in more than 200 countries around the world by sharing their simple core belief- community is what we make it.

]]>0John Baccalahttp://www.isdschools.org/?p=278722015-02-23T19:50:39Z2015-02-23T19:50:39ZCourtney Calhoun, a junior at William Chrisman High School, has been named the 2015 Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City Youth of the Year- the highest honor a club member can receive! She won a $1,000 scholarship and now advances to the Missouri Youth of the Year State Competition in April in Jefferson City. Local Boys & Girls Clubs leaders said Calhoun was recognized for her sound character, leadership skills and willingness to give back to the community.

“Courtney was nominated for her consistent participation, great enthusiasm and positive attitude.” said David A. Smith, president and club alumnus of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City. “She is an incredible club member and we are very proud of her.”

Calhoun is a member of the Independence Unit, joining the Boys & Girls Clubs four years ago. She is active in several programs, including the Keystone Club where she currently serves as president.

Every year, Boys & Girls Clubs members across the country are nominated for Youth of the Year honors based on their commitment to academics, home, family and the clubs. Independence club leaders call the 16-year-old a true inspiration. “Courtney can often be found mentoring younger club members or leading club community service projects,” Smith said.

If she wins state, Calhoun will compete for the title of Midwest Region Youth of the Year and an additional $10,000 scholarship. Five regional winners then advance to Washington, D.C. later this year with a chance to become the Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Youth of the Year. The National Youth of the Year receives an additional scholarship of up to $50,000 and has the opportunity to meet with the president at the White House.

For more than 100 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City has provided a fun and safe environment for youth ages 5-18 to learn, play, meet new friends and grow. Nearly 1,000 area youngsters are served by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City every day.

]]>0John Baccalahttp://www.isdschools.org/?p=278692015-02-20T21:11:22Z2015-02-20T21:11:22ZThanks to a strong showing at districts, three William Chrisman DECA students qualified for state competition later this year. DECA is a global organization encouraging business and entrepreneurial development. Four other Chrisman students were alternate medal winners.

DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges worldwide.

]]>0John Baccalahttp://www.isdschools.org/?p=278642015-02-20T21:08:21Z2015-02-20T21:08:21ZWilliam Chrisman students had a strong showing at the West Central District SkillsUSA Contest with several students qualifying for state competition. The top two in each technical skill contest and the top three in each written contest qualified for the Skills USA State Contest at Linn Tech College in Linn, Mo.

Dylan Dennis, Eric Waage and Jacob Moore teamed up to take second in the Automated Manufacturing competition.

In Technical Drafting, David Bogue took first, Abigail Stark took second and Bradley Horn took third place to sweep the category.

Two Bears also advanced in the Information Written Test. Samantha Payne finished first in Architectural Drafting and Bradley Horn finished first in Technical Drafting.

SkillsUSA's mission is to help its members become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens. SkillsUSA is an applied method of instruction for preparing America’s high performance workers in public career and technical programs. It provides quality education experiences for students in leadership, teamwork, citizenship and character development. It builds and reinforces self-confidence, work attitudes and communications skills. It emphasizes total quality at work—high ethical standards, superior work skills, life-long education and pride in the dignity of work. SkillsUSA also promotes understanding of the free-enterprise system and involvement in community service.

Imagine a summer filled with music, theatre and visual art. Imagination becomes reality for five weeks during the George Caleb Bingham Academy of the Arts June 1- July 2. Application forms are now available and any ninth- through 12th-grade student from any area public/private high school or home school is eligible for admission.

Applications must be requested by Friday, March 13. To request an application, click here. Application forms are due Friday, March 27.

During the five week course, students work with some of the area’s top instructors in the fields of creative writing, music, theatre and visual art in a college-like learning environment. Attendees earn high school credit for completing the program and college credit is also available.

]]>0John Baccalahttp://www.isdschools.org/?p=278162015-02-12T22:29:37Z2015-02-11T15:23:55ZMadisen Ward and the Mama Bear, featuring William Chrisman graduate Madisen Ward, performed on the Late Show with David Letterman on CBS Wednesday, Feb. 11. (To see Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear on Letterman, click here.) The Modern-Folk/Americana music duo, featuring Ward and his mother Ruth, have seen their popularity skyrocket nationally in the past year. The Letterman appearance came just days after Madisen and his mom performed at the Grammy luncheon, featuring several artists including Iggy Azalea, Sam Smith and Maroon 5, with Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear sandwiched between Keith Urban and Fall Out Boy. During a recent interview with the William Chrisman school newspaper the Envoy, Madisen explained the duo’s simple, but unusual, name.

“We wanted our name to be truthful, while also sounding like a fictional storybook title,” he said. “Maybe a fable that you would read as a child.”

During their Letterman appearance, the duo performed the song- Silent Movies. While in New York, Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear also played during Fashion Week.